Broadway Producers Are Looking to America's Heartland for the Next Megahit

When the producers of "Newsies" announced its Broadway run, it wasn't the first time that fans of the cult-favorite 1992 film on which the stage musical is based had reason to get excited. The show premiered at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse in September, and it's one of several productions transferring to Broadway this season from regional theaters."Regional theaters offer a nurturing environment and an economical alternative that allows a really introspective look on the piece itself," says Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill's producing artistic director. "You want to put enough money into it that you can provide the production that the show deserves, but you don't want to overspend to the point where you may be killing the future of the project."Regional theater has always been a breeding ground for Broadway hits, especially in recent years, and this season shows such as "Chinglish" and "Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway" started outside NY. Even a producing behemoth like Disney Theatrical Productions, whose long-running Broadway hits include "The Lion King" and "Mary Poppins," chose to debut "Newsies" away from the glare of the spotlight."The problem with developing and opening cold in NY is the artists don't have a lot of room to breathe," says producer Ken Davenport, whose current Broadway shows are "Chinglish" and "Godspell." "They're under a lot of different economic constraints and time constraints that don't allow them to do their best work. So we put them in places where they can have a little more breathing room."Gettin' Out of Town The tradition of shows opening outside the city goes all the way back to musical theater's beginnings, when an out-of-town tryout would precede the move to Broadway. In recent years, shows such as "Wicked" and "The Addams Family" have used this model, but this path is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, says Davenport, and leads audiences to make certain assumptions."The moment you're tagged as an out-of-town tryout and don't come right in, people go, 'Oh, they obviously have more work to do,' " Davenport explains. "Musicals are big things, and sometimes it takes them a long time to get where they need to go."Jeff Calhoun, director of the Paper Mill and Broadway productions of "Newsies," agrees that the regional environment is more conducive to creating new work. "The concentration is really on the work and nurturing the artist," says Calhoun, who also directed the regional and Broadway incarnations of "Bonnie & Clyde." "As we know, on Broadway that's not necessarily the case. It's more about putting a star into a vehicle, whether or not they're the best actor for the role."Part of what makes regional theaters nurturing is their long-term relationships with artists, says Michael Rosenberg, managing director of California's La Jolla Playhouse. La Jolla produced the world premiere of "Bonnie & Clyde," and a Broadway-bound revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" is playing there now. The theater has created 18 works that have transferred to Broadway.Of course, not everything artists produce is going to be great, but letting them try new things is necessary to maintain the relationship. "If you're going to have big rewards, you have to take big risks," Rosenberg says. "And if you take big risks, sometimes you're going to fail in a really big way."Theaters like La Jolla have been tagged "launching pads" for potential Broadway shows, says Davenport, and in the Internet age, anyone can learn all about a production from the moment the curtain falls on opening night. But Rosenberg doesn't feel the pressure."Trying to guess what should be on Broadway is not what we do, especially when you look at how long it takes to develop these projects," he says, adding that "Bonnie & Clyde" played Florida's Asolo Repertory Theatre before moving to Broadway last month. "For some projects, Broadway is not the ultimate goal."Audience Response In fact, the producers of "Newsies" had many options other than Broadway, such as licensing the material to schools or taking it on tour, as Disney has done with shows like "Aladdin" and "High School Musical." What drove "Newsies" to the Great White Way was audience response."It was the reaction of the press and the patrons to 'Newsies' that gave [the producers] the confidence that it was ready to move into NY," says Hoebee.Davenport thinks the audience's response is the most important benefit of a regional run, as it gives information that's crucial to the show's development. An out-of-town audience won't always react to a show the same way a NY audience will, but regional audiences are sometimes a good barometer for how tourists will respond."Sixty-five percent of the Broadway audience is from out of town," Davenport points out. "Sometimes an out-of-town audience can give you a much better idea of what the tourist audience is going to say about your show."Creative Process Once a show is set for Broadway, there will often be cast and other creative changes before it transfers, as commercial producers will frequently seek a marketable star to draw ticket buyers rather than trusting the work itself.Jennifer Lim, now starring in "Chinglish," has been with the project from the beginning and knew she could lose her role at any time. "It's business," she says. "It would be a waste of my energy to take things personally that have nothing to do with me. If they had decided they wanted to cast a star in the role, I'm not a star. I'd rather focus on the things that I can do instead of all the things that I can't."Calhoun says there will be casting changes when "Newsies" comes to Broadway. Jeremy Jordan, who starred in the Paper Mill production, is currently playing Clyde Barrow in "Bonnie & Clyde" and might not be available for the Broadway run of "Newsies," but Calhoun can't confirm casting specifics."It's really just because it's in the best interest of the show," he says of casting changes. "My job is the same no matter who the actor is."As an actor, Lim says, one of the benefits of being with "Chinglish" for its entire development is that she became so familiar with the play, she was an asset to playwright David Henry Hwang and director Leigh Silverman as they worked to improve it. Davenport adds that when a show starts regionally, some of the smaller roles can be filled with local hires, giving them the opportunity to work with a Broadway-caliber creative team.Whether a production is going to a regional theater or to Broadway, says Calhoun, putting it up is the same: "There's nothing you do on Broadway that you didn't do in your high school. You care just as much about a regional show as you do a Broadway show, if not more. In the regional, you're trying to get it to NY."Producing a successful show takes more than careful planning, however. Sometimes the stars really do need to align."It's our version of a kid playing basketball in his driveway and thinking, 'Maybe I'll play for the Boston Celtics someday,' " says Davenport. "I don't think anyone does a show in this country without some dream of it ending up on Broadway." By Suzy Evans December 14, 2011 "Newsies" at Paper Mill Playhouse PHOTO CREDIT T. Charles Erickson When the producers of "Newsies" announced its Broadway run, it wasn't the first time that fans of the cult-favorite 1992 film on which the stage musical is based had reason to get excited. The show premiered at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse in September, and it's one of several productions transferring to Broadway this season from regional theaters."Regional theaters offer a nurturing environment and an economical alternative that allows a really introspective look on the piece itself," says Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill's producing artistic director. "You want to put enough money into it that you can provide the production that the show deserves, but you don't want to overspend to the point where you may be killing the future of the project."Regional theater has always been a breeding ground for Broadway hits, especially in recent years, and this season shows such as "Chinglish" and "Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway" started outside NY. Even a producing behemoth like Disney Theatrical Productions, whose long-running Broadway hits include "The Lion King" and "Mary Poppins," chose to debut "Newsies" away from the glare of the spotlight."The problem with developing and opening cold in NY is the artists don't have a lot of room to breathe," says producer Ken Davenport, whose current Broadway shows are "Chinglish" and "Godspell." "They're under a lot of different economic constraints and time constraints that don't allow them to do their best work. So we put them in places where they can have a little more breathing room."Gettin' Out of Town The tradition of shows opening outside the city goes all the way back to musical theater's beginnings, when an out-of-town tryout would precede the move to Broadway. In recent years, shows such as "Wicked" and "The Addams Family" have used this model, but this path is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, says Davenport, and leads audiences to make certain assumptions."The moment you're tagged as an out-of-town tryout and don't come right in, people go, 'Oh, they obviously have more work to do,' " Davenport explains. "Musicals are big things, and sometimes it takes them a long time to get where they need to go."Jeff Calhoun, director of the Paper Mill and Broadway productions of "Newsies," agrees that the regional environment is more conducive to creating new work. "The concentration is really on the work and nurturing the artist," says Calhoun, who also directed the regional and Broadway incarnations of "Bonnie & Clyde." "As we know, on Broadway that's not necessarily the case. It's more about putting a star into a vehicle, whether or not they're the best actor for the role."Part of what makes regional theaters nurturing is their long-term relationships with artists, says Michael Rosenberg, managing director of California's La Jolla Playhouse. La Jolla produced the world premiere of "Bonnie & Clyde," and a Broadway-bound revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" is playing there now. The theater has created 18 works that have transferred to Broadway.Of course, not everything artists produce is going to be great, but letting them try new things is necessary to maintain the relationship. "If you're going to have big rewards, you have to take big risks," Rosenberg says. "And if you take big risks, sometimes you're going to fail in a really big way."Theaters like La Jolla have been tagged "launching pads" for potential Broadway shows, says Davenport, and in the Internet age, anyone can learn all about a production from the moment the curtain falls on opening night. But Rosenberg doesn't feel the pressure."Trying to guess what should be on Broadway is not what we do, especially when you look at how long it takes to develop these projects," he says, adding that "Bonnie & Clyde" played Florida's Asolo Repertory Theatre before moving to Broadway last month. "For some projects, Broadway is not the ultimate goal."Audience Response In fact, the producers of "Newsies" had many options other than Broadway, such as licensing the material to schools or taking it on tour, as Disney has done with shows like "Aladdin" and "High School Musical." What drove "Newsies" to the Great White Way was audience response."It was the reaction of the press and the patrons to 'Newsies' that gave [the producers] the confidence that it was ready to move into NY," says Hoebee.Davenport thinks the audience's response is the most important benefit of a regional run, as it gives information that's crucial to the show's development. An out-of-town audience won't always react to a show the same way a NY audience will, but regional audiences are sometimes a good barometer for how tourists will respond."Sixty-five percent of the Broadway audience is from out of town," Davenport points out. "Sometimes an out-of-town audience can give you a much better idea of what the tourist audience is going to say about your show."Creative Process Once a show is set for Broadway, there will often be cast and other creative changes before it transfers, as commercial producers will frequently seek a marketable star to draw ticket buyers rather than trusting the work itself.Jennifer Lim, now starring in "Chinglish," has been with the project from the beginning and knew she could lose her role at any time. "It's business," she says. "It would be a waste of my energy to take things personally that have nothing to do with me. If they had decided they wanted to cast a star in the role, I'm not a star. I'd rather focus on the things that I can do instead of all the things that I can't."Calhoun says there will be casting changes when "Newsies" comes to Broadway. Jeremy Jordan, who starred in the Paper Mill production, is currently playing Clyde Barrow in "Bonnie & Clyde" and might not be available for the Broadway run of "Newsies," but Calhoun can't confirm casting specifics."It's really just because it's in the best interest of the show," he says of casting changes. "My job is the same no matter who the actor is."As an actor, Lim says, one of the benefits of being with "Chinglish" for its entire development is that she became so familiar with the play, she was an asset to playwright David Henry Hwang and director Leigh Silverman as they worked to improve it. Davenport adds that when a show starts regionally, some of the smaller roles can be filled with local hires, giving them the opportunity to work with a Broadway-caliber creative team.Whether a production is going to a regional theater or to Broadway, says Calhoun, putting it up is the same: "There's nothing you do on Broadway that you didn't do in your high school. You care just as much about a regional show as you do a Broadway show, if not more. In the regional, you're trying to get it to NY."Producing a successful show takes more than careful planning, however. Sometimes the stars really do need to align."It's our version of a kid playing basketball in his driveway and thinking, 'Maybe I'll play for the Boston Celtics someday,' " says Davenport. "I don't think anyone does a show in this country without some dream of it ending up on Broadway."